Cellulose Fibre Producer Lenzing Updates Its Climate Targets

Cellulose fibre producer Lenzing has updated its climate targets to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit the human-induced global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius.

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the most respected organization in the field of climate-related target setting, has reviewed and confirmed this target improvement.

“This makes Lenzing the only producer of regenerated cellulosic fibers with a scientifically confirmed net-zero target,” the Austrian company said in a press release.

By 2030, Lenzing aims to reduce its direct emissions from the production of its fibre and pulp plants (scope 1) and its emissions from purchased energy (scope 2) by 42 percent.

The goal is also to reduce indirect emissions along the value chain (scope 3) by 25 percent on the way to net zero from a 2021 baseline.

This corresponds to an absolute reduction of 1.10 million tons instead of the previously targeted 700,000 tons

SBTi has confirmed that Lenzing has committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions along the entire value chain by 2050.

SBTi has recognised that Lenzing has committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent by 2030 from a base year 2021.

Lenzing has also committed to reduce absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services, fuels and energy-related activities as well as upstream transport and distribution by 25 percent within the same timeframe.

The company has committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050 from base year 2021.

Lenzing has also committed to reduce absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent within in the same timeframe.

These updated targets replace the old SBTi approved Lenzing Group’s climate target in 2019.